America has long been marked by a profound religious diversity. From the ratification of the Constitution through today, the United States has called members of nearly every faith tradition citizens. In many respects this diversity has been a source of strength, informing the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom and animating the cultural life of countless local communities. Yet America's religious diversity has also been a source of real tension. From the anti-Catholic movements of the nineteenth century to more recent battles over the display of religious imagery on government property, America’s religious diversity has often been at the center of many social, cultural, and political conflicts.

Out of Many: Religious Pluralism in America explores this complex religious history. It takes as its premise that the tensions between the America's stated commitment to religious pluralism and the very real conflicts religious divesity often generates are good to teach with. Here students and educators will find collections of primary sources from the Newberry Library that have been curated and annotated by scholars in the field. With discussion questions and suggestions on additional reading, they are designed to help integrate the study of America's religious diversity into the classroom. And with sources on everything from the history of Franciscan Missions to Islam's portrayal in American art, the collections feature items relevant to classrooms across the humanities.